The All Things Contemplative Blog©

Fr. William Meninger, a Roman Catholic priest and Trappist monk died at the age of 88 on Sunday 14 February 2021 at St. Joseph's Abby in Spencer, MA. He played a major role in assisting with the revival of the Christian contemplative tradition through his teaching, speaking and writing. In particular, he did so in collaboration with two other Trappist monks, Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington, deceased earlier. 

This threesome rediscovered a contemplative practice based on the 14th century text, "The Cloud of Unknowing" and tailored it for modern times. They eventually named it centering prayer, a type of non-conceptual, non-discursive, non-thinking based meditation practice. The practice has became widely adopted throughout the world. 

Fr. William's passing is a significant closure and perhaps celebration of a chapter in the revival of contemplative spirituality and practice in the Christian world - as all three monks have now passed-on yet left behind a host of treasures. May all three rest in peace.